Stephen Dyer, a former legislator and currently a fellow at think tank Innovation Ohio, wonders why the state of Ohio is considering legislation to have the state dissolve the state board of education. He wonders if the move is payback for meddling with the fraudulent practices of the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, which rewarded legislators for favoring ECOT and ignoring its inflated enrollments. Is it mere coincidence that five of the eight sponsors of the legislation received generous gifts from the owner of ECOT?
Be sure to read Dyer’s testimony to the legislature on HB 512 and why it should be dropped.
Bill Phillis, founder of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy, writes that HB 512 is an outrage and is unconstitutional.
“HB 512 is an affront to the Ohio Constitution-a change in governance of the State Education agency must be submitted to Ohioans on a statewide ballot
“HB 512 is a sinister end-run around the Ohio Constitutional provision for a state board of education and a superintendent of public instruction employed by the Board. HB 512 essentially proposes the elimination of a constitutional provision by legislation. The legislature has no right to transfer the State Board of Education operation to the Governor’s office.
“The crafters and other proponents of HB 512 are hoping to slip daylight past the rooster. They are trying to steer the attention of folks, including witnesses at the hearings, away from the fact that this is a constitutional issue subject to the voters of Ohio.
“HB 512 needs to be dropped. If state officials are serious about improving governance of the state education agency, they will propose an amendment to add constitutional language to require that all state board members are elected.
“The crafty scheme of leaving a hollow shell of the State Board of Education in the Constitution by transferring its responsibilities to the governor’s office is blatant contempt for Ohio’s highest governing document.
“Ohioans should be outraged with state officials who trample on the Constitution.”
William L. Phillis | Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding | 614.228.6540 | ohioeanda@sbcglobal.net| http://www.ohiocoalition.org
Diane Ravitch's blog 
ECOT must have deep pockets.
Lined and paid for by Ohio taxpayers.
reposted at OEN:
https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Ohio-Why-the-State-Wants-in-General_News-Education_Educational-Crisis_Fraud_Legislation-180317-702.html#comment693346
my comment 1: Submitted on Saturday, Mar 17, 2018 at 2:48:39 PM
How to wreck education? Replace the voices of the educators with the voices of corrupt legilslators. There are 15,880 school systems in 50 states https://www.opednews.com/Series/15-880-Districts-in-50-Sta-by-Susan-Lee-Schwartz-140921-34.html?f=15-880-Districts-in-50-Sta-by-Susan-Lee-Schwartz-140921-34.html making it easy for The EDUCATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX to dismantle education in this nation by defunding it and handing it over to thetop-down billionaires who run the secret government! https://greatschoolwars.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/eic-oct_11.pdf
They knew the schools would fail if they removed THE VOICES OF THE experienced GENUINE PROFESSIONAL PRACTITIONER– THE teachers– at the bottom who KNOW WHAT LEARNING REALLY LOOKS LIKE and are there with the children. Hundred of thousands of the most experienced teachers have been sent packing.
Now, at the level the site legislatures, across the nation, schools are in the hands of those who wish to wreck our democracy. Look at who writes curriculum in North Carolina . https://dianeravitch.net/2014/12/05/north-carolina-plans-to-adopt-koch-funded-social-studies-curriculum/
These toxic oligarchs https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/inside-the-koch-brothers-toxic-empire-20140924 who have the kind of wealth that once belonged only to states and kings– are undermining America everywhere. “The Koch network is stepping up to protectits investment in Arizona.”An out-of-state group called the LIBRE Institute on Thursday launched a “six-figure grassroots initiative to empower and educate families in Phoenix about the policies increasing their educational opportunities. https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2017/11/16/roberts-koch-funded-group-launches-six-figure-campaign-sell-arizona-voucher-expansiexpanding-voucher/872630001/
comment 2
Read the TRUTH — at the RAVITCH BLOG or the NPE newsletter. There been NO DISCUSSION in the MEDIA, about the legislative take-over of the public school systems, and the ongoing destruction — the privatization of our public educationby the state legislaturesthat Diane Ravitch covers at her site and by the NPE — and which my series here, re-posts with commentary that ties it all together.
https://dianeravitch.net/?s=Legislatures+
See my series on Privatization ,https://www.opednews.com/Series/PRIVITIZATION-by-Susan-Lee-Schwartz-150925-546.html?f=PRIVITIZATION-by-Susan-Lee-Schwartz-150925-546.html
which gathers many the most important posts by Diane and others about the PRIVATIZATION of the INSTITUTION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION!
IT IS NOT ABOUT schools. IT IS ABOUT WHAT OUR PEOPLE KNOW, and what CRITICAL THINKING skills are people have when they are adults.
I think this may be more of an ALEC ploy, as the Utah state legislature tried to do the very same thing this year: get rid of the entire elected state school board and invest all power with a governor-appointed superintendent (currently, the state superintendent is appointed by the state school board). The legislature session ended before the thing could pass, but rest assured, it will be back next year. The weird part of the Utah moment is that the senator who proposed it is a supposedly-ultra-liberal Democrat, who is fortunately retiring.
ALEC : ECOT :: po-tay-toe : po-tah-toe
such a frustratingly necessary word these days: “supposedly”
More stupidity from Ohio: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/niraj-antani-guns-in-school_us_5aabe38ce4b05b2217fe54ea
This came directly from Fordham.
I think it’s appalling what a huge role ed reform lobbying groups play in my state government, and my son’s public school. I didn’t elect any of these people. I am sick and tired of them writing state law.
Is it too much to ask that we get state reps who do their own work? Have some independent thought and somewhat reflect the views of these people in this state? They’re mouthpieces for these ridiculous lobbying groups who fancy themselves as crafting “governance”.
Is there a public school family in this state who can point to ANYTHING ed reform has done to improve a single public school in this state? Why do they run our government?
For the last 20 years the dopes in the Ohio statehouse have been adopting each and every crackpot idea that comes out of each and every ed reform lobbying group. Enough. Do your jobs. Turn in your own work. It’s pure laziness.
They have added absolutely no value to public schools in this state this legislative session. Just like last legislative session. And the one before that.
If they’re not cheerleading charters they’re expanding vouchers, or imposing some stupid fad on public schools that came directly out of the last ed reform conference in DC.
If they can’t offer anything of value to public school families- and they can’t- just leave us alone! None of them send their kids to our schools anyway.
Go to fundraisers, sit in your office and stare out the window, but for God’s sake please stop “helping” our schools.
We have ed reform fatigue. Go away. And take the ed reform lobbying groups with you.
If you’re an Ohio public school parent go to the Fordham Ohio website and look at what they lobby for- it is identical to the national ed reform agenda.
Ask your rep why he or she is acting as a mouthpiece for these lobbyists with their NATIONAL agenda that has little or nothing to do with actual public schools in this state.
Insist your representative do the work of finding out what he or she can do to SERVE public schools in this state. No one hired them to “reinvent governance” or replace public schools and as they well know they did not RUN on that.
They could start by just doing their jobs. Once they meet that minimum standard then maybe they can aspire to ed reform’s lofty (and arrogant) goals of “governance” that is authored in think tanks.
Every one of these state lawmakers has public schools in their districts. Go to their campaign events and insist they show us just what they have accomplished for THOSE schools THIS year. The schools are doing their part! These guys in Columbus don’t pull their weight. They add NO value.
If Ohio lawmakers have too much time on their hands in between fundraisers, the way that they could help public schools in this state is to do something on the opiate addiction problem.
I know none of them bother to ever enter a public school but dumping our MASSIVE drug addiction problem on public schools isn’t helping.
Maybe they could make themselves useful this year and do their jobs. Or not. Another session where they accomplish absolutely nothing would be par for the course but they must have noticed that the whole state is suffering from an epidemic about which they have done nothing.
State takeover of school and city governments is the model of the Koch brothers and ALEC. That’s what caused the lead-laced water in Flint Michigan. The Michigan Governor was given authority by state legislation to replace locally elected officials with a manager appointed by the Governor. His charge was to balance the budget which he moved to do. What he didn’t do was balance fiscal concerns with the equally or more important obligation to protect public health and safety.
The Koch brothers support accountability for everyone but themselves.
You are correct about the playbook. Mayor control, state control, limit public voice. Make participatory democracy vanish so mayors and governors can function more like CEOs.
Reblogged this on EduIssues and commented:
A couple of days ago I reblogged Diane Ravitch’s article highlighting how the California State Board of Education was taken over by charter proponents. Now here is an article about how Ohio’s School Board is under attack by politicians associated with an online learning company accused of fraud.